


The Unexpected

by Captainironhawk



Series: The Way Things Should Have Been [3]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9605795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captainironhawk/pseuds/Captainironhawk
Summary: Three years after Steve and Peggy's wedding, everything seemed to fall into place for the little makeshift family. Ana and Edwin fell into parenthood easily, as did Steve and Peggy, while Angie and Daniel had hit it off and were engaged. And Howard was still...Howard. But when new information arises that could turn Ana and Edwin's world upside down, they find themselves wondering if things really could change, and what that would do to the life they had built.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's quite a jump, but my series of one shots will hopefully fill in the blanks of what happened during those three years.

“Abe, darling, it’s time to wake up. You have to get moving or you’ll miss the bus,” Ana told her son as she gently shook his shoulder to wake him.

The six year old groaned and wriggled away from her, not being the morning person she was. “No, mama… I need more sleep.”

Ana sighed and rolled her eyes as she pulled the covers off of him so she could pull him into a sitting position. “Not on the first day of school, you don’t.”

Abe huffed and rubbed his eyes as he slumped over slightly, trying his best to wake up. “But mama…”

“No ‘but mama’s mister. You still need to get dressed and eat breakfast before you leave. So let’s go, my little angyal,” she told him before she left his room to join her husband in the kitchen, who was already in his suit and making them all breakfast.

“Is he up and moving yet?” Edwin asked as she entered the kitchen, pouring pancake batter into a pan.

“Up? Barely. Moving? Absolutely not,” she replied with a chuckle as she joined his side at the counter, slicing fruit to go with their breakfast.

“Hopefully that will improve after a week or two, once his body gets used to it,” he shrugged, flipping the pancakes which caused a loud sizzle. 

“Hopefully,” she agreed with a nod before sighing, setting the knife she had been using on the counter. “Are you sure this is what we should be doing? Maybe he needs some more time working on his English. Or there’s some more I could teach him.”

Edwin sighed as he moved their food to a plate before he turned to face her. They had enrolled Abe in kindergarten at the beginning of summer that year, figuring he was ready. And in every way they could tell, he was. Ana had worked hard with him to strengthen his English, while still teaching him Hungarian alongside with it. On top of that, she had begun teaching him arithmetic along with reading and writing. Between that and the time he spent watching his Uncle Howard in his lab, Abe was more than intellectually ready to attend school. He also was able to get along with nearly everyone he met, so he would have no problems making friends. Ana was the one who wasn’t ready. 

“Darling, he’ll do wonderfully,” he assured her as he rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sure there is more you can teach him, but we’d have to send him eventually. It’s his time.”

Ana huffed and puffed out her lip as she let herself fall forward slightly to rest her head on his chest. “I don’t want him to go… I want us to have our lunches together, and to have him with us so I know he’s safe.”

“I know. I would rather him stay home, too,” he murmured. Although Ana was the one who was able to have more free time with Abe, he would miss having his little shadow following him from room to room and help clean up what he could. Or watching with wide eyes as he fed Howard’s exotic pets. Part of him knew that they would still have time to do that on weekends or when he didn’t have school, but the other part of him worried that Abe wouldn’t want to once he was able to go out and find interests outside of his family.

Ana watched her husband’s face for a moment before she reached to cup his cheek in her hand, clearly needing some consoling himself. “It’s just for a few hours… He’ll be back home before we know it.”

Edwin gave her a small smile and nodded slowly, turning his head to kiss her palm as a little voice interrupted them.

“Mama, I need help,” Abe huffed from behind them, clearly frustrated with his button up shirt that was bunched up in multiple places from him putting the buttons through the wrong holes.

Ana chuckled as she pulled away from her husband to crouch in front of her son and set his buttons right. “And don’t forget to wear the sweater vest uncle Daniel got you. He was excited when he saw it had your school’s colors in it.”

Abe nodded as he watched her fix his shirt and tuck it into his pants. “I know, but it’s hot outside. Can I wait until winter?”

“Just wear it today, and I won’t make you wear it again until the first snowfall. Deal?” 

Tapping his chin, Abe squinted his eyes in thought before finally nodding. “Deal.”

Ana grinned as she finished and kissed his forehead. “Now go put it on and brush your teeth, then you can come have breakfast.”

“Okay, mama,” he replied before padding back down the hallway.

Once she stood up straight once again, Ana returned to her place at the counter and began removing his new lunchbox from the cabinet. They had found out early on that the school did not serve kosher meals, and that if he needed one they would have to pack it themselves. Apparently the school district didn’t have enough of a Jewish population for it to be a concern, which also worried Ana. She had taught him early on that he should not hide any part of who he was: his accent, his religion, even the fact that he was adopted. They were all things that made him Abe, and she never wanted him to be ashamed of any of those facts. And he never was, but that’s only because everyone around him would never shame him for any of those things which he couldn’t help. Being surrounded by new people, however, could cause some criticism that he wouldn’t know how to confront.

“Abe! Your breakfast is going to get cold,” Edwin called down the hallway, pulling her attention back to her task at hand. 

“I’m coming, papa,” the boy replied as he wandered back into the kitchen and climbed into one of the seats at the kitchen island. 

Once seated, Edwin placed a plate of pancakes and strawberries in front of him as he kissed his forehead. “Are you ready for your first day?”

Abe nodded excitedly as he began shoveling food into his mouth. “I can’t wait to ride on the school bus, and meet my teacher.”

Edwin smiled as he sat across from him with his own plate, Ana beside him. “I’m sure you are. And do you remember her name?”

“Miss Little,” he replied around a mouthful of pancakes. 

“Now, don’t talk with food in your mouth,” Ana instructed with a chuckle before she laid a napkin in her lap. “But that’s right. And don’t forget you have to listen to her like you listen to me, papa, or your aunts and uncles.”

Abe nodded again as he began swinging his feet out of both joy and excitement. “I know.”

“You’re going to do wonderful. And I already can’t wait for you to come back and tell us all about what you learned,” Edwin told him with a smile as he took a bite of his own breakfast. 

“And if you made any new friends,” Ana added with a smile.

Abe flashed a smile back at his mother before he finished clearing his plate, jumping out of his chair shortly after to put his backpack on. “Time for the bus!”

Ana let out a small sigh as she looked over at Edwin, receiving the same distraught look that she knew she was sending him. “I suppose we can’t wait much longer,” she mumbled before standing as well. 

Joining her side, Edwin took one of Abe’s hands while the other took their camera from where it sat on the hall table. “Then we best be on our way,” he sighed before leading them out the apartment and down the hallway. 

On their way to the front door, they ran into a disheveled and groggy Howard, clearly not having nearly enough sleep though somehow still functioning.

“Mr. Stark? I thought you didn’t want to be woken until ten o’clock. Was I mistaken?” Edwin asked with a frown. 

“No, no you’re right. I did say that. But I got myself up in time to see this little man head off to school,” Howard replied with a grin, reaching to mess Abe’s hair which caused him to laugh. “Do you remember what I told you?”

“Sit at the front of the class. Or next to the prettiest girl,” Abe recited with a giggle, which earned Howard a stern look from Ana.

“Hey, Mrs. J, I was just kidding when I said that. I also told him to pay attention and learn all that he can,” he defended, hands raised. 

Ana’s gaze softened as she looked down at Abe and smoothed his hair. “Is that true?”

Abe nodded before he ran to Howard and hugged his legs. “Bye uncle Howard!”

“Bye, little buddy,” he replied with a grin as he crouched down to hug him as well before he ran back to his parents. Once he was standing again, Howard let out a long yawn before stretching his arms. “Change that wake-up call to noon, Jarvis. With a bloody Mary.”

“Yes, sir,” Edwin replied with a nod before the little family continued on their way and out the front door. 

Reaching the end of the driveway, Ana let out a small sigh before she crouched down to straighten his clothes and fix his hair. “You look so handsome, sweetheart. Can I take a picture for your first day?” she asked, holding up the camera.

Abe nodded and smiled wide at her, hands gripping the straps on his backpack when she took the picture.

“Perfect,” she told him with a smile before she walked towards him once again, sighing softly as she looked down at him. “Now, remember, that I will be picking you up in the green car today. I’ll have Sarah with me, and we can go out to get a treat after if you had a good day. Does that sound good?”

Abe nodded again before looking up at Edwin. “Are you coming too, papa?”

Edwin glanced at Ana before sighing. “No, not this time. I have too much to get done today,” he explained before he lowered himself so they could be eye to eye. “But I will be waiting here, assisting Mr. Stark in his laboratory. When you come back, just knock on the door and I will come so you can tell me all about your day.”

Abe smiled slightly before throwing his arms around his father’s neck. “Okay. That sounds good too.”

Edwin returned his hug happily, kissing his cheek just as the bus pulled up. “It’s time for you to go...”

Abe broke away from him and practically ran to the bus, almost making it to the steps before he turned around to go back to his parents and hugged their legs. 

“Abe? What are you doing?” Ana asked as she looked down at him, raising her index finger to the annoyed bus driver to show they wouldn’t be long.

“I didn’t tell you and papa ‘I love you’,” he explained as he looked up at her with his wide, brown eyes. “I love you.”

Ana smiled down at him, tears in her eyes as she leaned forward to kiss his forehead. “We love you too, my little angyal,” she told him softly before ushering him back to the bus. “Have fun!” she called, waving to him once he found a seat. 

Edwin stepped up beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her close while his other hand waved to Abe as well. Their son waved back eagerly until the bus was out of sight, making both adults sniffle. “At least we both have plenty to do today to keep our minds busy,” he mumbled, planting a gentle kiss on the top of her head before he began leading her back to the mansion. 

“That’s true,” she sighed and pulled his arm from around her shoulders so they could lace their fingers together. “I already can’t wait until the weekend. For days when we won’t have to send him off.”

“I know, Ana,” he murmured, opening the door for her. “But, for now, dwelling on it will not help anything. Like I said, keep our minds busy.”

“You’re right,” she sighed as she stepped inside, glancing over her shoulder at him. “You go ahead and work. I’m going to wait here for Steve and Peggy.”

Giving her a small smile, Edwin gently held her chin before guiding her head to look up at him to gently plant a kiss on her lips. “I love you,” he mumbled against her, his other hand reaching for hers to give it a small squeeze.

Ana sighed softly as she returned his kiss, her hand returning the slight pressure as she stood on her toes to reach his face more easily. “Love you too,” she murmured as he backed away, nearly following him before she gave him a small smile. “Sarah and I may come find you for lunch.”

“That sounds lovely,” he replied before pecking a kiss on her forehead. “I will see you later,” he told her, flashing her a grin before turning away to attend to his daily duties. 

Ana sighed softly as she watched her husband walk away, smiling to herself before she sat on a windowseat closest to the front door to watch for her friends’ car. Ever since Steve and Peggy returned to work after the birth of their daughter, they had wanted close friends to watch after her just in case anything were to happen. She used to switch days with Angie, both wanting to help any way they could, but once Angie began attending more auditions and planning her wedding with Daniel, she used any free time she had left to decompress or spend time with her fiance. 

It delighted both Abe and Ana, though. Ana knew that her son would be going to school, so she would needed something to keep her busy while he was gone. Then Abe loved Sarah like she was his little sister, and treated her as such. His parents had explained to him early on that Ana couldn’t have her own children, so he wouldn’t have a brother or sister. That, paired with the fact Steve and Peggy didn’t want anymore children, Sarah and Abe became the closest either would have to a sibling. 

As a car pulled in front of where she sat, Ana let out a small sigh to pull herself from her thoughts before she rose and walked to the door. Swinging it open, she gave the couple a smile as she made her way towards them and waved. “Good morning, you two.”

“Good morning, Ana,” Peggy greeted as she climbed out of the driver’s seat, Steve walking around from the passenger’s side to pull out his daughter. “How did this morning go?”

“It went well. For Abe,” she replied with a slight chuckle. “For Edwin and I, however, there were multiple tears. So I’m happy to have Sarah here to keep me company,” she explained, smiling when she saw the little girl sitting in Steve’s arms. “Good morning, little miss.”

“G’mornin’ Ana,” the little girl greeted groggily, letting out a slight yawn as she further nuzzled her face into Steve’s neck. 

Steve chuckled as he rubbed her back in small circles. “We used our day off yesterday to go to the zoo, and it completely wore her out. And we let her sleep in this morning because of that, so she hasn’t had breakfast.”

Ana nodded before holding out her arms to take the child, Sarah willingly shifting to rest in her aunt’s arms. “Well, I have some pancakes and berries waiting for us in the apartment. How does that sound, Sarah?”

“Yummy,” she mumbled in reply, pouting slightly as she tried to reach for Steve and Peggy again. “Can mummy and daddy eat with us?”

“Not this morning, sweetheart,” she told her and patted her back. “Mummy and daddy need to go to work. But remember, they’ll be back before you know it.”

Sarah nodded slightly, hugging her neck before Peggy stepped forward to kiss her forehead. 

“We’ll see you later, Sarah. I love you.”

“Love you too, Mummy,” she replied, kissing her cheek as she gave a small wave. 

She did the same to Steve as he stepped towards her, smiling slightly. “Love you daddy.”

“I love you too,” he replied, waving as he backed towards the car. “See ya, Ana. Call-”

“If anything happens. I know, Steve. I have been doing this for you for over two years,” Ana added with a chuckle. “Now, go on you two. We’ll be fine.”

Both Steve and Peggy nodded with smiles before climbing back in their car, waving as they drove off. Sarah waved in return before Ana sat her down so they could walk to the apartment, holding her hand. 

“Now, let’s get some breakfast in you so we can start our day.”

**Author's Note:**

> Angyal - 'angel' in Hungarian
> 
> I cannot wait to start this new journey for the Jarvis'. There are plenty of surprises in store.


End file.
